Health News 12/2016

The man who sparked outrage last year by hiking the price of a life-saving drug may have met his match in some Australian schoolboys. US executive Martin Shkreli became a symbol of greed when he raised the price of a tablet of Daraprim from $13.50 (£11 ...(Dec 1, 2016, BBC News)

Ingredient in magic mushrooms is shown to ease anxiety and depression in cancer patients in one dose

In findings that could pry open a door closed for nearly half a century, researchers have found that psilocybin — a hallucinogen long used in traditional healing rituals — eases the depression and soothes the anxiety of patients contending with ...(Dec 1, 2016, Los Angeles Times)

Congress Nears a Breakthrough on Medical Research Funding

Subscribe to The Atlantic's Politics & Policy Daily, a roundup of ideas and events in American politics. In the coming days, the Republican-controlled Congress is likely to approve legislation that will invest more than $6 billion in public health and ...(Dec 1, 2016, The Atlantic)

The Life-Changing Magic of Mushrooms

Like ​The Atlantic? Subscribe to ​the Daily​, our free weekday email newsletter. The doom hung like an anvil over her head. In 2012, a few years after Carol Vincent was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, she was waiting to see whether her cancer ...(Dec 1, 2016, The Atlantic)

Sydney high school students 'show up' Martin Shkreli, recreating price-hiked pill for $2

Last fall, the notorious biotech executive Martin Shkreli became widely reviled for hiking the price of a life-saving drug by more than 4,000 percent overnight, to $750 per pill. Public outrage at Shkreli has apparently reverberated all the way to a ...(Dec 1, 2016, Washington Post)

Flu vaccinations during pregnancy do not seem to increase risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children, according to a report published in JAMA Pediatrics. The study found no connection between maternal influenza infection and vaccination and ...(Dec 1, 2016, Pharmacy Times)

Hallucinogenic drugs could soon work like a 'surgical intervention' for mental illness

The Brooklyn resident, an ice-skating teacher and former bank IT programmer in her 60s, was devastated. Luckily, doctors were able to successfully treat her disease with chemotherapy, but the dread of a re-occurrence just wouldn't go away. It was like ...(Dec 1, 2016, Business Insider)

A group of high school students has made Martin Shkreli's $750-drug Daraprim for $2

Last year, hedge-fund manager Martin Shkreli made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he bought anti-parasitic drug Daraprim and jacked up the price overnight from $US13.50 to $750 a tablet. To prove how much of a dick move that was, a group of ...(Dec 1, 2016, Business Insider)

What Trump's pick to run Medicaid did for the white working class in Indiana

As a candidate, Donald Trump offered scant information on what he would do for the white working class, the demographic group that many analysts have said gave him his victory. That is changing now that Trump is naming people to his cabinet. On Tuesday ...(Dec 1, 2016, Washington Post)

A large study that looked at autism rates and maternal flu shots supports the current recommendation that pregnant women get vaccinated against the flu. A large study that looked at autism rates and maternal flu shots supports the current ...(Dec 1, 2016, Chicago Tribune)

Parkinson's linked to bacteria in the gut

For the first time, researchers have found a functional link between the bacteria in the gut and the onset of Parkinson's disease, one of the world's most common debilitating brain disorders. A team of scientists from several institutions in the United ...(Dec 1, 2016, CNBC)

Man cured of prostate cancer after being given testosterone to shock tumors

A man has been “cured” of prostate cancer using an experimental therapy that shocks tumours to death with the sex hormone testosterone. The disease was at an advanced stage and had failed to respond to previous treatment. Other seriously ill men taking ...(Dec 1, 2016, Fox News)

Go out and play! It's good for your eyes

Yet another reason for teens to get off the screen and into the great outdoors: Sunlight can help ward off nearsightedness, according to a study published Thursday. Although too much sun can lead to skin cancer, exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB ...(Dec 1, 2016, USA TODAY)

What every woman should know about menopause and diabetes

It's not surprising that many women in perimenopause and menopause don't realize they have diabetes — many of the symptoms are similar. (MementoImage/Getty Images/iStockphoto). BY Mache Seibel, Md. DAILY NEWS CONTRIBUTOR. Thursday ...(Dec 1, 2016, New York Daily News)

Vegetarian and vegan diets good for kids and adults, nutritionists say

Pre-cut vegetables of a self service salad bar are displayed for sale in a shop in the northern German town of Hamburg May 26, 2011. REUTERS/Morris Mac Matzen. By Lisa Rapaport. (Reuters Health) - - Plant-based diets are tied to a lower risk of health ...(Dec 1, 2016, Reuters)

Top US AIDS Official Touts Progress, Has Tough Words For Tanzania

Each year, the United States gives $5 billion to $6 billion to fight HIV/AIDS around the world, with particular emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for two-thirds of the nearly 2 million new infections each year. For World AIDS Day, we sat ...(Dec 1, 2016, NPR)

Doctor Calls Michelle Obama 'Monkey Face,' But Says She's Not Racist

A Colorado doctor has been ordered to stop seeing patients and is being fired from her medical school teaching job after calling first lady Michelle Obama “monkey face” on Facebook and defending herself as “still not racist.” Dr. Michelle Herren, a ...(Dec 1, 2016, Huffington Post)

Vegan Diets Are Good For Pregnant Women and Children, As Long As They're Well-Balanced

Many people have wondered whether vegan or vegetarian diets are healthy for pregnant women or infants, particularly after horror stories emerged in recent months of kids becoming malnourished after their parents fed them plant-based diets. However ...(Dec 1, 2016, New York Magazine)

Johnson & Johnson hit with over $1 billion verdict on hip implants

The logo of healthcare company Johnson & Johnson is seen in front of an office building in Zug, Switzerland July 20, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann. By Erica Teichert. A federal jury in Dallas on Thursday ordered Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and its DePuy ...(Dec 1, 2016, Reuters)

Groups report first Zika glaucoma, new 'minibrain' findings

Adding another serious condition to the list of Zika complications, a team from Brazil and the United States published the first report of glaucoma in a baby born with severe virus-related birth defects. Clinicians have already documented eye problems ...(Dec 2, 2016, CIDRAP)

Texas Will Require Aborted Fetuses To Be Buried Or Cremated

AUSTIN, Tx. (CNN) — The Governor says they are “giving voice to the unborn.” Critics say they are a naked attempt to shame and financially burden Texas women seeking abortions. They are controversial new rules in Texas which will require abortion ...(Dec 2, 2016, CBS Local)

Watch Martin Shkreli Respond to the School Kids Who Recreated His Drug for $2 a Dose

The name of former hedge-fund manager Martin Shkreli shot to notoriety last year when the pharmaceutical company he co-founded, Turing Pharmaceuticals, jacked up prices of Daraprim, a 62-year-old antiparasitic drug now used by patients with weakened ...(Dec 2, 2016, TIME)

Ryan, Johnson condemn Tomah VA over possible infections from dentist

A dentist is responsible for possibly exposing nearly 600 veterans at the Tomah VA to several types of disease. Loading… Post to Facebook. Ryan, Johnson condemn Tomah VA over possible infections from dentist A dentist is responsible for possibly ...(Dec 2, 2016, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Understanding of Parkinson's 'transformed'

Scientists in California say they have transformed understanding of Parkinson's disease. Their animal experiments, published in the journal Cell, suggest the brain disorder may be caused by bacteria living in the gut. The findings could eventually lead ...(Dec 2, 2016, BBC News)

For one Egyptian with HIV, the stigma is too much to bear

In this Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 photo, Ahmed, who is living with HIV, rests at the office of the Roaya Association for Integrated Development, the largest of the few groups in Egypt that look after people living with HIV. Ahmed spoke to The Associated ...(Dec 2, 2016, STLtoday.com)

If high-school kids in Australia can replicate a $750 drug for $2, why is it still so expensive to buy?

Martin Shkreli has been the butt of many jokes. The latest one comes from a group of high-school students in Australia. Shkreli is the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, which in 2015 raised the price of the drug Daraprim by 5,000%, from $13.50 per ...(Dec 2, 2016, Quartz)

Med school cuts ties with Denver doctor over racist remark

DENVER — The University of Colorado is cutting ties with a Denver doctor who made a racist remark on Facebook about first lady Michelle Obama. The university tells the Denver Post that it's in the process of terminating Dr. Michelle Herren's non-paid ...(Dec 2, 2016, Washington Post)

'Tidal wave of Hep. C coming,' health commissioner warns

As the state lingers in the grip of its ongoing opioid epidemic, Virginia's top health official is warning that the state soon may also be dealing with skyrocketing rates of hepatitis C and HIV. During a Virginia Board of Health meeting Thursday, the ...(Dec 2, 2016, Richmond.com)

New Yorkers Will Soon Be Able To Use Pot For Chronic Pain

New York is expanding its medical marijuana legislation, adding chronic pain to the list of qualifying medical conditions to allow people to obtain the drug. “After conducting a thorough review of the scientific literature, it became clear that there ...(Dec 2, 2016, TIME)

Gov. Scott lifts Little River Zika zone

Gov. Rick Scott has lifted the zone of active Zika transmission covering one square mile of Miami's Little River neighborhood. Scott made the announcement Friday morning at St. Mary Cathedral School in the neighborhood. "Today is a good news day," he ...(Dec 2, 2016, Miami Herald)

Will MDMA Be Legalized for PTSD Treatment?

MDMA, better known as ecstasy or “Molly” and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, is predominantly dismissed as an illicit street drug abused by raucous club-goers. Known for its stimulating and psychedelic effects that strengthen feelings of trust and ...(Dec 2, 2016, Pharmacy Times)

American Airlines attendants want 'full recall' of new uniforms

American Airlines rolled out new uniforms to more than 70,000 of its frontline workers in September. The appearance of the uniforms was well-received, but now American's flight attendants union is calling for a total recall after saying the outfits ...(Dec 2, 2016, USA TODAY)

Doctor Who Called Michelle Obama 'Monkey Face' Has Been Suspended

A Denver hospital indefinitely suspended a doctor who called First Lady Michelle Obama a “monkey face” in a Facebook post, the Denver Post reports. Dr. Michelle Herren, a pediatric anesthesiologist at Denver Health and an assistant professor at ...(Dec 2, 2016, TIME)

Med school cuts ties with doctor over racist remark made about First Lady Michelle Obama

DENVER -- The University of Colorado is cutting ties with a Denver doctor who made a racist remark on Facebook about First Lady Michelle Obama. The university tells the Denver Post that it's in the process of terminating Dr. Michelle Herren's non-paid ...(Dec 2, 2016, CBS News)

Watch: An Unfiltered Conversation About Abortions and Black Women

Politicians threaten to reverse Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood faces accusations of “genocide” and Black wombs are named the most deadly place for babies to live. But beneath the controversy are the painful and rarely recalled stories of the women who ...(Dec 2, 2016, BET)

Whistle-Blowing AIDS Doctor Reflects on Roots of Epidemic in China

Dr. Gao Yaojie, who helped expose H.I.V.-tainted blood sales in Henan Province, in her apartment in New York last month. Credit George Etheredge for The New York Times. In October, the pioneering Chinese AIDS fighter Gao Yaojie disclosed her wish to ...(Dec 2, 2016, New York Times)

Increased UVB Exposure in Youth Reduces Adult Myopia Risk

A European cross-sectional study has added to evidence that higher annual lifetime exposure to ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) – a marker of time spent outdoors in sunlight -- is associated with reduced odds of myopia. UVB exposure during ages 14 to 29 ...(Dec 2, 2016, MedPage Today)

Can a Wonka-Like Trick Make Candy Taste Just as Good With Less Sugar?

As any calorie-conscious holiday reveler knows, it's hard not to be a bit naughty during a season when so many sweets abound. Wouldn't it be nice to indulge with a little less guilt? Well, maybe in a few years. In what would appear to be a game ...(Dec 2, 2016, Yahoo News)

Experiment Brings Abandoned Memories Back to Mind

We all wish we had better powers of recollection. We have all experienced the momentary panic of forgetting where we dropped our keys or reading glasses, or having a thought – a word or a name or a concept - just out of reach. "My ability to keep ...(Dec 2, 2016, WUWM)

Lack of Sun in Teen Years Linked to Nearsightedness Later On

Teens and young adults who spend more time outdoors may be less likely to become nearsighted later in life than those who spend less time outdoors, a new study suggests. People in the study who spent more time exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation ...(Dec 2, 2016, Live Science)

Schoolkids Remake $750 Malaria Drug for $2

Martin Shkreli, left, former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, leaves a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in Rayburn Building on 'methods and reasoning behind recent drug price increases,' after invoking his Fifth Amendment right against ...(Dec 2, 2016, Scientific American)

US health care tab hits $3.2T; fastest growth in 8 years

WASHINGTON — The nation's health care tab grew at the fastest rate in eight years in 2015, driven by the coverage expansion in President Barack Obama's law and by costly prescription drugs, the government said Friday. The growth of 5.8 percent in 2015 ...(Dec 2, 2016, Washington Post)

Another Miami Neighborhood Now Zika-Free

FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- The Little River section of Miami is no longer an area where local Zika infection is active, Florida health officials reported Friday. While Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the development was great news for the ...(Dec 2, 2016, WebMD)

Enlarge / Tom Price, R-Ga., speaks at a signing ceremony for the "Restoring Americans Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015" at the US Capitol in Washington in 2016. Rep. Price, who is also a physician, is the sponsor of the legislation, which ...(Dec 2, 2016, Ars Technica)

Stephen Hawking says technology will devastate the middle class

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives. Stephen Hawking Enlarge Image. The truth about the world is somber. Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images. Since the election, there seems to be little ...(Dec 2, 2016, CNET)

New data on risk vs benefit for potent CAR-T cancer drugs

A promising but risky new group of customized cancer drugs will be in focus this weekend at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), where clinical trial results will help clarify their potential for doctors and investors ...(Dec 2, 2016, Reuters)

Lawsuit 'Likely' Amid New Texas Rules Over Fetal Remains

FILE - In this July 13, 2013 file photo, abortion rights advocates, left, protest in the State Capitol as anti-abortion rights supporters pass them in Austin, Texas. New Texas rules requiring the burial or cremation of fetal remains could face a court ...(Dec 2, 2016, ABC News)

(CNN) Nearly 600 patients who received dental care at a Wisconsin Veterans Affairs medical center may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B and C and now face an anxious wait to find out if they were infected. Earlier this week, officials said a ...(Dec 3, 2016, CNN)